Chapter Fourteen
SparkNotes summary: Nelly grants Isabella’s request and goes to the
manor, but Edgar continues to spurn his sister’s appeals for forgiveness.
When Nelly arrives, Heathcliff presses her for news of Catherine and asks
if he may come see her. Nelly refuses to allow him to come to the Grange,
however, and, enraged, Heathcliff threatens that he will hold Nelly a
prisoner at Wuthering Heights and go alone. Terrified by that possibility,
Nelly agrees to carry a letter from Heathcliff to Catherine.
Key events:
Nelly visits Isabella, after Edgar refuses to make contact
Heathcliff insults Isabella and their marriage while declaring
love for Catherine and a strong desire to see her
Eventually, he persuades Nelly to agree to take a letter from
him to Catherine
Key themes/ideas:
Marriage
Love
Loyalty
Heathcliff:
When Nelly speaks of Catherine’s illness and her change, he
must try to control his emotions- “forcing himself to seem
calm”
He acts in a forcefully commanding and determined manner-
“you’ll get me an interview with her: consent, or refuse, I
will see her!”
Violent, almost like a vampire- “I would have torn his heart
out, and drank his blood”
Arrogant- but, in this case, rightfully so- “for every thought
she spends on Linton, she spends thousands on me!”
He declares his passionate love for Catherine- “If he loved
with all the powers of hiss puny being, he couldn’t love as
much in eight years as I could a day”
He taunts Isabella- “Can I trust your assertion, Isabella? Are
you sure you hate me? If I let you alone for half a day, won’t
you come sighing and wheedling to me again?”
Insulted by Isabella- “He’s a lying fiend! A monster, and not
a human being!”
, His use of Isabella as revenge is confirmed- “he says he has
married me on purpose to obtain power over him”
Violent and sadistic- “The more the worms writhe, the more
I yearn to crush out their entrails”
His treatment to Catherine is very different- “ask if anything
that I could do would be of use to her”
Seems desperate for Catherine, almost like a stalker- “I was
in the Grange garden six hours, and I’ll return there tonight;
and every night I’ll haunt the place”
He must have his own way- “In that case, I’ll take measures
to secure you, woman!... you shall not leave Wuthering
Heights till tomorrow morning”
Catherine:
Her deterioration and change is emphasised- “Catherine
Linton is as different now from your old friend Catherine
Earnshaw” “Her appearance is changed greatly, her
character much more so”
Isabella:
She seems neglected- “spirit of neglect which encompassed
her. Her pretty face was wan and listless… some locks
hanging lankly down”
Despite being cut off from her family, she remains loyal to
her brother- “I won’t hear my brother depreciated in
silence!” “he shan’t obtain it- I’ll die first!”
She was blinded by her ‘love’ for Heathcliff- “The first thing
she saw me do… was to hang up her little dog” “no brutality
disgusted her”
Dehumanised- “an abject thing”
Desperate for some form of escape- “The single pleasure I
can imagine, is to die, or to see him dead!”
Edgar:
He symbolically kills Isabella- “we are eternally divided”
He hatred of Heathcliff has corrupted his usually warm
heart- “My Edgar’s coldness depressed me exceedingly”
Setting
Deterioration of Wuthering Heights- “There never was such
a dreary, dismal scene as the formerly cheerful house
presented!”
SparkNotes summary: Nelly grants Isabella’s request and goes to the
manor, but Edgar continues to spurn his sister’s appeals for forgiveness.
When Nelly arrives, Heathcliff presses her for news of Catherine and asks
if he may come see her. Nelly refuses to allow him to come to the Grange,
however, and, enraged, Heathcliff threatens that he will hold Nelly a
prisoner at Wuthering Heights and go alone. Terrified by that possibility,
Nelly agrees to carry a letter from Heathcliff to Catherine.
Key events:
Nelly visits Isabella, after Edgar refuses to make contact
Heathcliff insults Isabella and their marriage while declaring
love for Catherine and a strong desire to see her
Eventually, he persuades Nelly to agree to take a letter from
him to Catherine
Key themes/ideas:
Marriage
Love
Loyalty
Heathcliff:
When Nelly speaks of Catherine’s illness and her change, he
must try to control his emotions- “forcing himself to seem
calm”
He acts in a forcefully commanding and determined manner-
“you’ll get me an interview with her: consent, or refuse, I
will see her!”
Violent, almost like a vampire- “I would have torn his heart
out, and drank his blood”
Arrogant- but, in this case, rightfully so- “for every thought
she spends on Linton, she spends thousands on me!”
He declares his passionate love for Catherine- “If he loved
with all the powers of hiss puny being, he couldn’t love as
much in eight years as I could a day”
He taunts Isabella- “Can I trust your assertion, Isabella? Are
you sure you hate me? If I let you alone for half a day, won’t
you come sighing and wheedling to me again?”
Insulted by Isabella- “He’s a lying fiend! A monster, and not
a human being!”
, His use of Isabella as revenge is confirmed- “he says he has
married me on purpose to obtain power over him”
Violent and sadistic- “The more the worms writhe, the more
I yearn to crush out their entrails”
His treatment to Catherine is very different- “ask if anything
that I could do would be of use to her”
Seems desperate for Catherine, almost like a stalker- “I was
in the Grange garden six hours, and I’ll return there tonight;
and every night I’ll haunt the place”
He must have his own way- “In that case, I’ll take measures
to secure you, woman!... you shall not leave Wuthering
Heights till tomorrow morning”
Catherine:
Her deterioration and change is emphasised- “Catherine
Linton is as different now from your old friend Catherine
Earnshaw” “Her appearance is changed greatly, her
character much more so”
Isabella:
She seems neglected- “spirit of neglect which encompassed
her. Her pretty face was wan and listless… some locks
hanging lankly down”
Despite being cut off from her family, she remains loyal to
her brother- “I won’t hear my brother depreciated in
silence!” “he shan’t obtain it- I’ll die first!”
She was blinded by her ‘love’ for Heathcliff- “The first thing
she saw me do… was to hang up her little dog” “no brutality
disgusted her”
Dehumanised- “an abject thing”
Desperate for some form of escape- “The single pleasure I
can imagine, is to die, or to see him dead!”
Edgar:
He symbolically kills Isabella- “we are eternally divided”
He hatred of Heathcliff has corrupted his usually warm
heart- “My Edgar’s coldness depressed me exceedingly”
Setting
Deterioration of Wuthering Heights- “There never was such
a dreary, dismal scene as the formerly cheerful house
presented!”
